The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1887-05-05
WASHINGTON LETTER.
from Our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON. D. e.,
NAY 9 1887

In AOOs -
When Washington is rather dull,
absent, and no really news
accessible, your correspondence ex-
cusable for writing aboutAthings
that are talked about whether or
not they are new.orsimnortani--
May will be one of the gayest and
merriest of months in Washington,
but April has not been so at ALL
Society is comparatively quiet ex-.
cept when it Observation-Disclosures
in a paper hunt, its Latest "ad,p
which is $50 English, you know"
The White House is quiet, Mrs.
Cleveland hasn't been doing or say
ing anything that was very remark
able of late, and the gossip about
President Cleveland's second term
has entirely subsidedfor thepresent.
An effort was made recently to in
duce the President to recommend to
Congress the purchase of some fine
paintings by a foreign artist, which
have been hangingin the Executive
Mansion for several years. Mr..
Cleveland is an official who propos-
es to attend strictly to his own le-
ultimate business and duties, and
he was a trile indignant atthis sug-
gestion. He did1ot enter into the
desirability of the pictures from an
artistic standpoint, but declined
positively to'say anything to Con-
gress on the subject on the ground
that it was not an affair calling for
the action of the President.
Congressman O'Neil, of Missouri,
recently said that he wished most
heartily some law could be passed
by which Congressional influence
in securing appointments could be
universally done away with. Said
|he, "the bane ofa Congressman'sex-
istence is the ~ceaseless application
for Office from every Tom, Dick and
John who voted. for him." He said
some of them can be reasoned with
and made to understand that thou
sand men can't be appointed to ten
offices, but it takes valuable time
and attention to convince them
Others, usually those who have the
least right to expect anything, can't
appreciate reasoning, and haveto he
refused fatty then they never for
give you, and only wait for an OPP
portunity to give you a stab in the
dark. He t~houghtft wasiquite saf-
icient to disgust a man with Con-
gressional life,
Untilrecentlyther were tWomen
in the Post-office Department Tone
has died within the past few days
who tend to prove that republics
are grateful after all, and to the vic
tors do not belong exclusively the
spoils. They were appointed to of.
flee f~fty-seven years ago during An.
drew Jackson's first term, andhave
served continuously since, and un-
der thirty-one different Postmasters
General. The veteran clerk who has
just died was efficient until the time
of his illness. The one who remains
is distinguished for having admin.
istered the oath of Office to every
Postmaster General for fifty years
That reminds me of the proposed
establishment of a civil pension
list for the benefit of Government
employees who have spent thirty OF
more years at their desks, but which
with SO many hundreds of Other
bills more deserving died with the
expiring Congress.
Instead of devising schemes fol
prolonging the tenure of Office ano
offering men inducements to seel
employment in the Executive De
partments by the assurancesof pro
vision for their support when in
capacitated for further duty by age
or infrmity, it would be far better
for Congress to set a fixed limit te
terms of official service.
Thereare positions undertheGov
eminent requiring special training
to which this principle Of rotation
would not apply because of the diff
Guilty of filling vacancies with men
ofthe required experience. Butwhar
valid reason would the Government
have for taking upon itself the life
long charge of those whom it hires
to do its merely clerical work ano
who of their own option engage to
do it.
The very worst thing the Govern.
ment can do for the young men Of
the country is to tempt them with
its subordinate clerkships onaguar.
antee of retiring them on a pension
thirty, forty or fifty years later. No
man should want to sit at a Depart,
ment desk and copy letters or add
up figures for whole lifetime. He
owes something more to himself
than to enter upon such acondition
of petty servitude.
Soldiers are pensioned for the
sacrifices they have made-the brave
defense of country they voluntarily
undertook-the blood they shed, the
limbs they lost, the shattered frames
they bore out of battle. But here
the pension system should stop.
JuSo.